


The Kraken's Labyrinth (BATIM Merfolk AU)

by inkabelle_designs



Category: BATDR - Fandom, BATDS - Fandom, BINR - Fandom, Batim - Fandom, Bendy and the Ink Machine, Bendy and the dark revival, bendy in nightmare run, boris and the dark survival
Genre: AU, Spoilers for Bendy and the Ink Machine, Spoilers for Boris and the Dark Survival, bendy au, merfolk, mermaid, merman
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-06-04
Updated: 2021-02-02
Packaged: 2021-03-03 20:28:31
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 2
Words: 7,499
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24531553
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/inkabelle_designs/pseuds/inkabelle_designs
Summary: Many years ago, Henry left his home for good to marry the woman of his dreams: marine biologist Linda Stein. They lived a happy life with their daughter Eliza, and their dog, Boris, in the middle of a tropical island. They have good friends in the Campbell sisters, a great community, it really looks to be happily ever after. But all that changes one fateful day when the lines between magic and normalcy start to blur. And Henry is very forcefully reminded of something he wished to forget from long ago: there are always consequences for crossing the merfolk. And no matter where you hide, a tempest's wrath will always find you.Now, it's up to his loved ones to help him set things right.
Relationships: Alice Angel/Sammy Lawrence, Allison Angel/Tom, Henry Stein/Linda Stein, Susie Campbell & Sammy Lawrence, Susie Campbell/Sammy Lawrence, Thomas Connor/Allison Pendle
Comments: 17
Kudos: 11





	1. Friendship Ocean Deep

Henry Stein was a very fortunate man. He lived close to the center of a large island with the love of his life, Linda, and their darling daughter, Eliza. There was plenty of tropical fruit, lovely neighbors, and a wonderful culture all around them. Life couldn’t possibly be any better. 

Well, maybe one thing could make it perfect: the ocean from the days of Henry’s youth. Oh how he missed the sea, it was practically his home with how many hours he spent there. But alas, he could never go back, not after what had happened so many years ago. They had to move inland, and that was that. 

Though it was getting harder and harder to avoid that glistening sea. Eliza was nearly hitting double digits, and she’d wanted to go visit the shore for years now. Collecting seashells, learning to surf, feeling the waves crash over her, it was something she could only dream of. But she hardly knew how to swim. Though at this point, Henry was running out of excuses to avoid teaching her. He was still afraid of the consequences, of getting too close to the water again, especially with his bad leg. 

"Daddy?" 

"Yes cuttlefish?"

"When are you gonna take me to the beach?" 

Eliza sat at the kitchen table, coloring in her notebook while she looked upon her encyclopedia. Henry smiled and shook his head. She was no better than her mother, always had her head stuck in a book. She had one of Linda's marine biology features by her side so she could draw all the fish. She loved her fish and could spout off facts about nearly all the ones known to mankind. The thick locks of her auburn hair fell out of her curly ponytail and bordered her face as she read, peridot eyes scanning the page for details. The sunlight from the kitchen window highlighted her many freckles. She was so small, so petite compared to Henry, who was somewhat of a stocky fellow himself. It was no wonder he was hesitant to let her go somewhere as large as the ocean. Between appearances and her brains, she was bound to get into trouble.

"You're not ready for it yet honey, the ocean is too dangerous." Henry brushed her off, but he couldn't quite dissuade her. He ran a hand through his hair. He wasn’t that old, and yet grey crept into his short brown locks, which brought out a lot of tiny wrinkles. He felt old on the inside, with how much she wore him down on the subject.

"The ocean is only dangerous if you're not prepared, Daddy." She said, matter-of-factly. "You never let the riptide take you, always wear goggles and sunblock, don't tamper with the wildlife, don't touch baby turtles-"

"Yes dear, that's all very true." Linda chuckled as she stepped into the kitchen and walked to the sink to wash the dishes. 

Her favorite pair of wedged sandals clicked softly against the tile of the floor, sundress swishing along with the short curls of her ginger bob. The way she walked was so serene. Henry was always left in awe of the way she moved. So confident, yet gentle. And then she looked at him. Gosh, she looked at him with those gorgeous hazel eyes. Today they were more blue than usual, and so smiley, so friendly and warm. It didn’t take much for him to be left breathless when she entered a room.

"Your father can't walk too well in the sand with his cane, and I can't swim well enough to take you myself." Linda continued.

Eliza pouted. "Aw come on, can't someone else take me?"

Henry raised an eyebrow. "Like who?"

"I dunno? Auntie Milla? She helped train the Olympic synchronized swim team in Russia, she knows how to swim!"

"True, but swimming in a pool is very different from swimming in the ocean. There's no waves." Henry replied. "Besides, Aunt Milla is a very busy woman."

"Aw come on! She already babysits me, why can't we go to the beach, just once?"

Henry sighed and rubbed his temples. "I just...well…. it's hard to explain Liz." He looked to Linda for help.

Linda smiled and shook her head. She leaned back against the counter. Linda was certainly strong on the outside, all the training for dives made sure of that, but her greater strength lied in her wit. Surely she could defuse this.

"Your father and I will talk about this later dear." She walked over and gave the girl a hug from the side. "So, what would you like for lunch?"

"Popcorn shrimp please!" Eliza put on her widest, most darling smile. "Shrimp makes flamingos pink!"

Linda laughed. "That they do! Are you a flamingo?" She blew a raspberry on Eliza's cheek, causing the girl to erupt into a fit of giggles. 

"Nooo!"

Henry smiled as the bantering went on between his two girls. How lucky he was, to have such a wonderful family. He would do anything to protect them. The more he thought over it, the more he wondered, was he doing Eliza a disservice? Maybe it was time to go have a talk with the local expert, she would know what to do. So he picked up the phone and dialed the one person he knew could help. 

Later that evening, he slipped on his shoes and yelled to Linda that he was heading over to the neighbors. 

“Alright sweetheart, make sure you lock the gate this time! We don’t want Boris running out again.” 

Henry laughed. “You got it, honey, I’ll make sure it’s latched.”

He headed out the front door and took his time hobbling down the steps to their lower gate. As his cane clacked against the cobblestone, the friendly face of their Siberian husky came bolting over to greet him. 

“Arf!” The dog bellowed, hopping up on his hind legs to paw at Henry’s shirt. Henry laughed.

“Hey there buddy. How’s my Boris doin’ ah?” The man scratched behind his fluffy companion’s ears, which was greeted by the swish of his tail going miles a minute. Henry smiled, kneeling down to give the big fella a hug. 

“Aw, you good boy you. I’m going out for a bit. You’ll keep an eye on the girls while I’m gone, won’t you?”

Boris barked happily in response. Henry gave him another pat.

“That’s my boy. I’ll see you soon Boris, be good now ya hear?”

He found himself chuckling as Boris barked in response, following him all the way until he latched the gate’s lock. He took his time walking over, letting the cool breeze before sundown relax his nerves.

Henry found himself on the windy path that led to the Campbell household. He knocked thrice on the beach wood door and was greeted by a friendly face. There was Susie, with her big brown eyes and her long dark hair, goodness, and her heavenly smile. She gave him a big ol' hug in the doorway before pulling him inside. 

"Henry darling, delightful to see you! Come in come in! Would you like a spot of tea, maybe some biscuits?" Her tinkly laugh echoed off the tile. 

"Don't mind her," came a voice from the doorway, "She's all caught up in auditioning for this romcom about a British heiress." 

"Oh balderdash!" Susie replied. She brushed off her shoulder and stuck up her nose. "A good actress never stops practicing! I WILL get the part of Esther Plumberry if it's the last thing I do! Pip pip!"

Milla laughed and crossed her arms, shaking her head as she walked over to meet them, which called for a readjustment of her glasses. Susie meanwhile headed to the kitchen to put the kettle on. 

Henry smiled softly. "Good to see you Milla, it's been a while." 

Milla grinned and wrapped her arms around him, quiet but firm in her grasp. She was a short thing, or at least, short compared to Henry. Her hair was long and dark, held back only by the headband that showed her widow’s peak. Her skin was dotted with sparse helpings of freckles, a few moles showing themselves on her arms and neck. Her smile was tender, as were her eyes, a seafoam green that was playful and enchanting. She matched her cousin closely, one might have mistaken them for twins if not for Susie’s birthmark: a discolored patch near her left eye, almost shaped like a seahorse tail. Milla lacked that mark, but she was marked in many other ways, ways not seen in the present daylight.

"Good to see you too bud." She stepped back and looked him in the eye whilst holding his shoulders. "But you don't usually come over unless you're worked up over something. What's on your mind sweetheart?"

She guided them over to the loveseats off of the kitchen. It was a quaint little space. Coffee colored walls, ivory cushioned chairs, and a walnut coffee table with vanilla candles and shells were the only things present. Henry sighed and sat down, resting his weathered cane against the wall. Even now, Susie still frowned at the old thing. What an unfortunate tool to have to use, and for such a sad reason.

"It's Eliza,” Henry replied, “She's gotten a lot more persistent about visiting the ocean. We've tried to scare her with news articles and horror stories about beach accidents, but she's just not buying it. That girl has enough safety protocol in her head to be a grade-A lifeguard for Pete's sake." He held his head in exasperation. But both of them could see the stupid smile on his face.

Milla smirked at him, rubbing her chin slyly. "Oh really now? Gee, I wonder who that sounds like."

Henry smirked right back. There was some youthfulness, some long-forgotten mischief that sparkled in his cerulean eyes. "Alright, I get it, I was no better as a guppy. But I at least had someone to help satiate that curiosity. I'm not sure I can do the same for her." He sighed. "It's been so long, but it's still so dangerous. What if something goes wrong?"

"What exactly are you worried about? Give her some swimming lessons and she'll be fine, she's a smart girl Henry." Milla held a hand on her hip.

"...What if  _ he  _ finds her?" He whispered. 

Milla sighed. "This again? Henry, there's no way his royal pain in the butt is ever gonna find you here. You're so far inland that he can't get here without coming up himself. Which he'll never do, because he's a musty clam." 

Henry rubbed the back of his head. But even he couldn’t keep a straight face at the musty clam comment. "I know but...I dunno, it's just, it's a lot. Linda and I have no idea how to tell her the truth."

Milla shook her head and smiled knowingly. "We can relate to that, can't we cousin?"

"Oh most certainly!" Susie laughed as she sauntered in, placing a tray of tea and cookies on the coffee table. "It wasn't until Milla started shedding scales in the shower that we found out. It was so gross!"

"Hey, metamorphosis isn't pretty. I don't recall you being any fun throughout puberty either." Milla jabbed back. 

"Ugh, don't remind me! Acne was the absolute worst. I was practically Rudolph in every Christmas photo we ever took." She whined. 

Henry poured them each a cup of tea. He put in two sugars and a spoonful of honey before mixing, just the way they liked it. He couldn’t hide his grin at their usual antics. "So your folks just waited for something to happen?"

"Well sure, how do you tell your kid "oh hey, by the way, you're a fish!" Like, that's just not normal, ya know?" Milla chuckled. "You've got it even rougher. You're the scaley one here, your daughter may not even have fins. She's almost ten now, right? Has she shown any signs of changing?" 

"Not particularly. I mean she's been asking for seafood a lot more on the weekends, but that's nothing new. She always gets like that when she's into a subject, wants to be surrounded by it."

"Just like Linda." Susie giggled. "I'm sure it'll all work out. You're good parents, and she's a great kid."

Milla nodded. "Couldn't have said it better myself. Maybe we should have her over for swimming lessons sometimes. Whether she's one of us or not, it's a useful skill, and I'd rather she be safe in the water, ya know?"

"I know, I know. It's just, if she knows how, what's to stop her from going where she's not supposed to? Maybe not now, but when she's a teenager for sure."

"Ah the rebellious phase, that's a good one." Milla laughed. Her laugh was so nice, maybe a bit sarcastic, but it was also hearty and warm. She took a sip of her tea before setting it down, leaning in to look at the tired man. "I think it'll be alright. She'll learn when it's the right time. For now, let's focus on protecting her. Knowledge is power, isn't it?"

Henry nodded. "You're right. Knowledge is power." It was powerful enough to separate Joey and me, he thought to himself. He didn't want to recall any memories of his old friend. He'd left without so much as a goodbye. They all knew he'd be cross, that was simply in his nature.

"Hey now, why the long face?" Susie booped his nose playfully. "Come on now Mister Stein, life doesn't have to be so doom and gloom all the time. Sounds to me like you could use some quality time in the yard.”

Milla rolled her eyes and shook her head. A smile graced her lips. "Really Susie?"

"No no, she's right. It's been...a while." Henry admitted. He nervously fidgeted with the bottom of his shirt. 

Milla smirked. He'd done that ever since he first had to wear one, silly nervous tick. She remembered that day far too well, getting him dressed, his confusion over the concept of flip-flops. It was so long ago, and yet, not so far away at all. She finished up her cup of tea before standing. And then she reached out to him, a glint of mischief in her eyes.

"Shall we?"

"We shall." 

He grinned right back and he took her hand. Once he pulled himself up, he grabbed his cane and hurried along with her to the privacy of the backyard. The Campbell cousins had a large number of trees surrounding their property, much more effective than any fence, which was perfect. They had a whole patch of lake all to themselves, no one would see a thing. 

No one would see anything.

Henry swiftly unbuttoned his shirt and threw it over a rock, letting his shoes and trousers follow suit. He could keep the underwear, that wouldn’t matter any. Milla merely rolled her eyes, her clothes stayed on. Susie meanwhile stayed behind, getting changed into her bathing suit in the mudroom off the back. Three different approaches for three very different people, and yet each one made perfect sense. 

"Ready big fella?"

Henry chuckled. "As I'll ever be. Try to keep up, ey minnow?"

"Excuse you!" Milla laughed heartily. "Alright, count of three. One-"

"Two-"

"Three!"

And they were off! Both dove into the crystal clear water and let it overtake them. And that's when the bubbles rose. They covered Milla and Henry like decadent chocolate over a strawberry, popping and fizzing like shaken soda. Milla giggled as they tickled her, enjoying the gentle sensation of being reunited with her element. 

Henry felt himself melting into the water. Everything that plagued him at the surface was left behind, gone, as though it had never existed. The lake lacked the usual salt of the sea, but that was just fine. Freshwater had its own appeal. Here, though confined to a small space, he was free. Free to exist, free to stretch out his long forgotten limbs, free to just be. It had been months, too many months, his magic was taking its sweet time now, but his legs slowly merged themselves together, turning as black as winter's midnight as it stretched far longer than before. Feet were lost to a wide fin at the bottom of the extremity, the fluke, powerful enough to send waves crashing should it slam down unexpectedly. White spots graced his hips, lining up with the way Linda would hold him in the dark. It's like they were made just for her touch. A dorsal fin jutted out of his back, making him mistakable for a shark if you didn't know any better. His hands darkened significantly to match his tail, his fingers webbing in between to better scoop the water and propel him forward. And of course, the ever important gills formed at his neck and hips, letting him take in the water like he would the air. 

Yes, Henry was a merman, an orca to be precise. And he was one of the most beautiful creatures Linda had ever laid her eyes on. Milla was a close second. Her tail wasn’t quite the same as Henry’s though. For while he was related to whales, she had a different heritage. Her family was very proudly from the depths of the Arctic Ocean, right off the coast of Russia. Down so deep, one could never witness her beauty, but here, the silver of her tail flickered in the dulled sunlight. It was long and thin, and her whole body had to dart and zig zag to get anywhere. Her eyes glowed ever so softly, an eerie sight for anyone to see, and her teeth were sharp, deadly sharp. She had descended from the lamprey, there was no question about that.

But then you have Susie. Susie wasn’t anything special at all really. She was related to Milla of course, they were close in so many ways, but she was not a mermaid. That part of the gene pool was said to have come from Milla’s mother, who’d married into the family. So alas, while both were beautiful women, they were not the same. 

But that didn’t stop them from enjoying each other’s company in the water. Milla swam over to her cousin and gave her a peck on the cheek. That was enough. A mermaid would never kiss a man she wished to drown, for to do so would defeat the purpose. One magical little touch, just one, was all it took to let Susie stay with her as long as she pleased. So while Susie was just human, in her goggles and flippers, she could still participate. That was enough, wasn’t it?

And so they spent the evening enjoying themselves, the perfect thing for a summer’s Friday. They raced, they dove, they played underwater telephone, to which Susie always misinterpreted horribly. Breathing underwater didn’t mean she could hear all that well. It was an enchanting time spent together. 

Henry hadn’t been able to be fully submerged in so long. He’d missed being in touch with himself. Milla could see it in his eyes. There was always a part of him that belonged to the water. In many ways, he felt it was his greatest failure. He could never truly leave his past behind. He could never destroy what was so clearly important to who he was. Some days he was jealous of the Campbells, being able to live as they did without any resentment. But they’d never lived as he did. Not once had they been citizens of Atlantis or trapped under the iron fist of its king. Not once had they known another merperson besides him that had no ounce of pure humanity in his blood. Not once had they ever had to run away. 

How could he be jealous? They were happy here and now, and so was he. Their little circle of secrets was a safe place. While not related by blood, they were family, the family he chose to keep protected. There was nothing to doubt, he’d made his choice over a decade and a half ago, he would stick to it no matter what. Nothing could sway him from that judgment. He was content.

...Wasn’t he?


	2. Three can keep a Secret?

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Susie is at work when she notices something peculiar happening on the beach. When she goes to investigate, it ends up reuniting Henry with an old friend. They have a lot of catching up to do. After all, it's been more than a decade!
> 
> Trigger Warnings:   
> Mentions of Tyrannical Ruling, Torture, and one brief allusion to Erotic Dancing.

Susie Campbell was a wonderful young woman. Delightful performance skills, the kindness of a fairy godmother, and the voice of an angel were all things she took great pride in having. But there’s one thing she didn’t have, in her mind at least. 

It was identity. 

Ever since Henry had arrived in their lives, her dear cousin, the one who was practically the sister she’d always wanted, was fixated on helping him adjust to life on the shore. Now of course, she was younger and foolish then, so there was jealousy for certain. But she was older now, more mature in theory, she deemed herself above such things. Still, the connection the two had, they had something in common that she would never have with Milla. Sometimes she worried she’d never have that kind of closeness. 

Those were the thoughts that plagued her today as she scrubbed down the tables outside. While an aspiring actress is a great thing to be, it certainly wasn’t the most reliable profession. So Susie found herself working as a waitress at a local restaurant by the shore. It was your typical mom and pop place, nothing fancy, but the food was so good that the place was always packed. Currently though, it was vacant, as the lunch rush had ended. Thus, she was scrubbing down the last of the tables before her own quick break, singing a merry tune as she went about her work. 

Now, if more people believed in fairytales, one might have mistaken her for one of their princesses. The birds would chirp in tune to her songs and land nearby on the wooden railing. They knew she’d sneak them a bit of seed, something that wouldn’t harm their little bellies, and all of them were grateful for it. Sometimes they’d pick up bits of napkins to throw in the waste bin, knowing how awful her back ached after a long day’s work. It was a strange relationship, no one in town could quite figure it out, but it was fine. She didn’t question it. If anything, she was grateful for the company, especially from such a colorful group.

On this day, however, Susie’s song attracted far more than the birds. 

Peeking out from the ocean’s waves was a mop of long blonde hair, bordering a rather pointy face with a sharp chin. Gentle eyes as blue as the Florida Keys looked up in awe. He lifted a hand to shield his eyes, not used to the brightness of the sunlight at this hour. He had to get closer, he had to know where that gorgeous sound was coming from. 

Carefully, the man in the ocean swam closer to the shoreline. But in his eagerness to hear the beautiful voice, he’d forgotten something rather important: the waves had a mind of their own. No sooner had he looked behind him, than a yelp sounded off, and the poor fellow was sent tumbling into the shoreline, beached and dizzy where he laid.    
  
Susie, who was close enough to hear it, ran to the railing and looked around, visibly worried over the sound of a scream. There was no one around but her presently, so of course she felt responsible. Was someone hurt, was someone drowning? No one was supposed to be on this part of the shore, the beach was barely existent against the large rock wall! 

But then she caught sight of him. The most beautiful man she’d ever laid eyes on, struggling to stay awake on the sandy bar. She immediately ran for the stairs and hurried down to him. Keeping him steady, she checked for injuries, concussions, any bones out of place. He batted her away groggily, but she took his arm and placed it back at his side. He didn’t seem to have anything wrong, but the fact that he was so lethargic had her concerned. What if there was something she couldn’t see going on? She needed an expert.   
  
“Don’t move mister, you’re hurt.” She held his hand gently and squeezed it. “It’s okay, I’ll take care of you. We’re going to get you some help.”    
  
Quickly, she dialed her cousin’s number, fretting as the line kept ringing and ringing. But in her panic, she nearly missed his humming. Pulling her mind out of her worries, she listened. Even just humming, he had a beautiful set of pipes, she was sure he was a lovely singer. But what really caught her attention was the song he tried to mimic. That was her tune, the one she’d been singing moments ago. Quietly, she joined in.    
  
“I’ll be your angel, sent from heaven above…” 

He carefully opened his eyes and looked at her. How striking they were! So blue, so stern, and yet, so soft and glassy. He seemed surprised, curious even, but so content.    
  
“...Your little angel, cast down for you to love, I’ll be your angel, fits me just like a glove-”

“-So won’t you say, a prayer to me, baby?” He responded, completely on pitch and without missing a beat.

His voice, oh it was mesmerizing. But of course, she’d expected nothing less. After all, he was a merman. 

“Susie? Susie, you there?” 

She was so distracted that she almost didn’t register Milla finally picking up. Her cheeks flushed bright red as she fumbled and responded. 

“Cous, you gotta get down to Geno’s. Someone’s beached! He doesn’t seem to be injured, but I don’t know what to do!”

  
  
“What? You’re kidding! What are they?” 

“Uhh, frilly, kinda red and black, with blue stripes?”

“Okay, so not a death trap. I’ll be right there, keep him stable, alright?”

  
  
“Alright. Drive safe, bring the kit, love you!”

  
  
“Love you too!” 

Click. 

Susie carefully adjusted her position, bringing the man’s head onto her lap so she could inspect further. “I’m so sorry sir. But we’ll make sure you’re okay, I promise.” 

“Why are you apologizing?” He asked in confusion.

  
  
“...I feel like it’s my fault you got beached.” She blushed again, hiding her face in her curls. “You c-came closer because, b-because-”

“Because I wanted to see who was making that melody.” He finished. He cracked a small smile, taking her hand and leaving a kiss on it. "I've been told humans are dangerous, but never did I think they could have a siren's charms." He smirked. "You're not afraid of me either. Why is that?"

Susie's cheeks only grew redder. "I-I, look, it's uh, it's a long story." She rubbed her shoulder and looked away. "My cousin, she's um... she's also from the sea."

"So you are a siren then?"

"N-no! Not at all! Not...not even close…" She sighed. "Milla's mom was the mermaid, her dad was my dad's brother. So no, I'm not a fish. Otherwise I'd know how to help, don't you think?"

"True, though, you're doing quite well for someone who claims to be clueless." The merman chuckled. "So you're not a siren. Are you an angel then?"

"E-excuse me?" Her voice cracked. 

"Making such beautiful music, surely that's beyond a human's capabilities." He continued to smirk. “While I haven’t the foggiest idea what an angel is, I do think I’d like for you to be mine.” 

"I-now wait a minute-"

"Susie!"

Susie jerked around, hearing the car door slam as footsteps came running down to the beach. The merman also looked up, eyes widened. Milla ran right towards them, followed promptly by a man with a cane. 

"No, it can't be...but...but he said that-"

"Milla!" Susie jumped up and hugged her tightly. "I'm so glad you're here. Here, help me-"

"Sammy?" Henry uttered. The man knelt down beside the merman. Neither one could believe their eyes as they stared back at each other. The man's hands were shaking as he held the merman's shoulders. "How the heck did you end up here?"

"H-hen... Henry? Henry!" Sammy wrapped his arms around him, pulling the man tightly into his chest. "Henry, you're alive!" He exclaimed, " How is this possible? The king said you'd met a terrible fate, we thought you were dead!" 

Susie looked at them both in confusion. "Um, anyone want to fill me in here? You two know each other?"

"I second the motion." Milla crossed her arms. "Who are you?"

"Ah yes, apologies Miss Angel." Sammy hardly noticed the way she tensed up at that name. "I'm Samuel Lawrence, his Majesty's finest maestro." He gave a small bow. "We were coworkers a long time ago. Henry was the best royal advisor Atlantis ever had. His majesty was most fortunate, he hasn't been the same since." Sammy looked to Henry with sadness in his eyes. "But that doesn't explain what you're doing here. Why would the king lie to us like that?"

"He wasn't lying. As far as he's concerned, I am dead to him." Henry shook his head and held his arms, as though the coldness in his heart were physical cold. "I...ran away."

"You what? Why would you become a traitor!" He pulled Henry by the shirt to his eye level, glaring so intensely into his soul. "Do you have any idea what he'll do to you if he finds out?"

"I live so far inland that he's never had the nerve to come looking," Henry smirked. "I'm only here because Milla wanted my help." 

"Hmmph, I see." Sammy's eyes traveled down to Henry's cane. "So, what's um," he gestured to his legs, " all this about. Made a deal with a Sea Witch did you?"

"Hardly." Henry chuckled. “Perhaps we should take you back to my place. My daughter's not home for another few hours, that'll be plenty of time for Linda to help give you a check-up. Then I'll show you." 

"You...you have a daughter? Henry…" Sammy shook his head. "It hardly feels like time has passed, and yet look at you. All that gray in your hair, a family started, so much has happened...so much we've missed." 

"I know bud, I know…"

"Well, then it looks like we have some catching up to do. I'm not due at rehearsal until tomorrow." The merman smirked. "And I'd be delighted to get better acquainted with your friends here." 

Susie grew bashful and hid in her collar. "G-goodness! Look at the time! I still have an hour left of my shift. I-I'll meet up with you later, I promise." She smiled softly and gave him a small peck on the cheek. "It was nice to meet you, Samuel."

"Please, call me Sammy, Miss Angel."

"Only if you call me Susie. That's my name."

"Alright, Susie, my angel." 

She giggled and hurried off, leaving Milla shaking her head. "Come on Henry, let's get him to Linda's lab." 

"Of course Milla. You got the wheelchair?" 

"Excuse me, the what now?"

Sammy had never seen the human world before, and he never thought he would. But upon being put on this chair with wheels, and covering his impressive tail with a blanket, he was free to travel all over it. Henry drove the three of them back to see his wife. So much had to be explained, but it was well worth it. Sammy couldn't believe it. They chatted as they headed there.

"So you really left Atlantis to marry this woman? She must be truly extraordinary."

"Well, you came here to listen to Susie sing. It's not too different from that." Henry chuckled, but it turned serious as he turned another corner. "But that does beg the question, why are you really here Sammy? We're all forbidden from coming too close to the land. You know what'll happen if people find out we exist." 

"What? You mean you haven't made peace with any world leaders yet?" Sammy asked.

"Of course not, no one can know." Henry sighed. 

"There are many fictional stories here about humans destroying what they don't understand Sammy," Milla said, "I'm sure some would be alright, but others...well, they'd dissect us in a lab, open us up to see how we work."

Sammy shivered. "I did not need that mental image."

"You're telling me. My wife knows, but my daughter? I'm still figuring out how to tell her…"

"Your child doesn't know who you are? Oh, Henry, you're still too modest for your own good." Sammy clicked his tongue. "I still don't understand how you managed to become, well, this! What did you do to trade away your tail, how is that even possible?"

Henry smirked as he kept driving. "Be surprised, this is something we've always been able to do. Just years of bad ruling let us forget it."

"Wait, really?" Sammy's eyes widened.

"Yep!" Milla chuckled. "When merfolk dry out their fins for a while, legs take their place. But once you're fully submerged again, you're good to go. Just make sure to hydrate often and you'll be fine."

Henry nodded. "Only real downside is that it gets pretty obvious when you're visiting the shore too often. That's most of what got me in trouble."

"Wait, how?"

Henry finally pulled into the driveway and turned the keys to take them out of the ignition. He then held his hair and ran his fingers through the gray. "Appearance. The longer we stay away from our element, the more human we become. And something that happens to humans at a much faster rate is aging."

Milla nodded. "Linda helped us to research it. I had no idea merfolk could live to be thousands of years old. But humans aren't around as long, most barely make it to fifty."

"Fifty? That's so young! Practically guppies!" Sammy exclaimed. "How can that be? No wonder humans never figure anything out, they're constantly running out of time." 

Henry chuckled at that as they unloaded the car to wheel him in. "You'd be surprised, old friend, you'd be surprised." He smirked as he wheeled him in. "Now stop dodging my question you codfish. What brought you to the surface?"

"You mean other than the angel's beautiful voice?" Sammy smirked right back, but he was quick to turn a bit worrisome. He sighed. "Henry... I've been having...dreams, again. Visions really, of places I'd not seen before. Places filled with laughter and song, above the surface. I could've sworn I saw your face among the crowd, smiling so brightly, and at first, that got me to dismiss them. I mean, we assumed you were dead. But the same dreams kept coming back, with more and more detail, with all these faces of people I knew. And with them came the screams of the damned." He shivered. "Something dark and consuming, from depths not even the lamprey dare reach. The cries of a monster somewhere in the kingdom, torturing all that come too close. I needed answers. So I came looking to the one place where trouble always seems to arise."

"The surface." 

“Precisely.” The maestro sighed. “I don’t know what to make of it all. It’s just...troubling.”

  
  
Henry and Milla carefully took Sammy out of the vehicle, wheeling him up the ramp into the Stein’s household.

  
  
“So...who have you seen then, in your visions?” Henry asked. The way he said it was curious, but also slightly afraid. Sammy didn’t like that.

  
  
“Several old friends...you remember Jack?”

“Your old roommate?”

Sammy nodded. “He’s there. Same with Norman, Allison, that good for nothing Wally-”

“Wally? You still see him around?” 

Sammy groaned in exasperation. “Believe me, I wish I didn’t. He keeps saying he’ll swim off to the Bahamas the minute things start to go bad, but he’s never had the guts. It’s exhausting.” He rubbed his temples. 

Milla giggled. “Sounds like quite the character.”

“Oh you don’t know half of it.” Henry chuckled. “Sounds like our old band is still around then. So uh, you and Norm ever end up-” 

“-No, none of your nonsense about that.” Sammy glared, but his cheeks were pink. “We are just friends, nothing more.” 

“Alright, alright, whatever you say your melodiousness.” Henry teased. 

Sammy shook his head and grumbled. “You’re really too quick to joke about such things...here I was thinking one of my only friends was dead for the last decade, and now I find you here, wearing those ridiculous floral patterns and floppy foot covers, teasing me about romance?” He cracked a small, sad smile. “You really haven’t changed a bit, have you Stein?” 

Henry sighed and rubbed the back of his head. “Suppose I haven’t, have I?” 

He smiled, but he also felt sorrow in his heart. It had been so long since he’d seen any merfolk other than Milla. Sammy was one of the few who could talk him out of overworking himself back then, one of the few who would tell his majesty to stop abusing him. Frankly, he was one of the few he regretted not saying goodbye to.

“So you’re really all still there...what’s changed since I left?” Henry asked as he wheeled Sammy into the living room. Milla went into the kitchen and put the kettle on, knowing just how Henry liked it.

  
  
Sammy was hesitant to tell him. “Well, both a whole lot and nothing at all. His highness is still as much of an ass ache as usual.” He rubbed his temples. “I’m afraid without you there, he’s been far more irritable, though maybe that’s just me losing my patience. The fact is, he’s lost his temper far more than is reasonable. I hear of servants getting sent to the dungeon on a daily basis until he stubbornly lets them out. The old fool knows he’s nothing without us.” 

“Well that’s reassuring.” Henry rolled his eyes. “What’s going on with the royal guard these days? Did Allison ever make it in?” 

“Passed her exam with flying colors,” Sammy smirked. “You should see her, that little swordfish is terrifying.” 

“Oh I’m sure. She wanted to be a warrior for years. I’m glad she finally got out of that awful outfit.” 

“You’re telling me. Joey had no business making her perform for him.” Sammy scoffed. “Though let me tell you, things got very juicy. You remember Connor?”

“Thomas Connor? The royal wizard?”

“The one and only,” Sammy smirked. “Well, turns out he and Ally got hitched!”

“Really? They got married?!” Henry grinned. “Get out of the reef! Who proposed?”

“She did, you know he’s too stubborn to show his feelings like that.” Sammy laughed, a genuine, adorable laugh. 

Milla came back in, carrying a tray. “Having fun old men?”

“O-old? Old! I beg your pardon-”

“Relax Sam, she knows.” 

“W-what?! You’re kidding, you did not tell this guppy, we’re not that old-”

“Sammy, we’re frickin’ old by human standards.” Henry chuckled. “How many centuries have you seen pass?”

“Well let’s-wait, no, I’m not telling!” He crossed his arms and looked away, only to take in the aroma of their presented snack. 

Milla had really outdone herself. Peppermint tea, chocolate cookies, and oddly enough, sushi. It was a strange combination of things, not that Sammy would know that, but it was fairly standard for them. He recognized there was fish there, but what the other stuff was, he hadn’t the foggiest idea. And Henry could pick up on that as he watched the blonde merman rub his chin in contemplation. 

Henry chuckled. “Thank you Milla. Do you mind explaining all that to him? I don’t think I can mince the words as well as you did for me.” 

“Oh of course Henry.” 

Milla chuckled and proceeded to give Sammy an in-depth look at the foods she had present. She was very well versed in the history of such things, bookworm that she was. Sammy’s face twisted in fascination, asking her dozens of questions while sampling them for himself. One sip of that peppermint brew and his eyes lit up.

“Fascinating! I’ve never tasted something like this before! And it’s just boiled up leaves and water?” 

“Mhmm, simple but effective, and very good for your throat.” 

“Amazing...I wish we had mint leaves down there. This would do wonders for my choir.”

“You have a choir too? I thought you were just the orchestra guy.”

“Henry, you’ve spoken of my beautiful band but not my angelfish? Shame on you! All my performers are world-renowned!” 

Meanwhile, Henry had taken up drying and braiding the man’s hair. He snickered. “I have my reasons for being selective, Lawrence. You’d jabber on about them for hours, and yet you’d never tell them to their faces how proud you are of them.” 

“Hey, give me a little credit, I’m getting better about that.” Sammy crossed his arms, narrowing his eyes at the old man.

“Oh really now?” Henry asked skeptically.

“Yes, really! Dear Poseidon, I have to at this point. Sure, I’m hard on them, but one flat note and the king goes off the deep end. Turns them into terrible things.” He shuddered. 

Milla raised an eyebrow in concern. “What kind of things?”

“Oh my dear, you’d wish you didn’t know if I told you. The ones who really piss him off, oh they’re hardly recognizable as people once he’s done with them.” 

Henry paused, having gone all too quiet as he looked at the merman. “Sammy...what’s he done to them?” His voice shook a little as he asked.

“He...it’s almost like he melts them! It’s like being turned to seafoam, your brain gets so mushy that you can’t remember anything, just pain, agonizing pain!”

“How do you know what it feels like?” Milla asked.

“Well I don’t personally, but I know someone who does. You remember Grant?” 

“The king’s financial advisor? Well, of course, I had lunch with him every Thursday, kind of hard to forget him.” Henry replied. 

“ _ He’s been through it, multiple times, _ ” Sammy whispered. His voice was almost as shivery as his shoulders. “The poor fellow has never been the same.”

“What…” Henry hesitated, “W-what did he do to deserve that?”

“Nothing as far as I’m concerned. He dared to ask the king to reconsider his tax strategy.” Sammy shook his head, the look of disgust was evident on his face. “Grant’s a wreck without you, Henry. We all are, even the king...You were the only one who could ever keep him under control.” 

Henry was far too quick to turn away. He couldn’t look Sammy in the eyes. “That...that’s not true. He stopped listening to me, this would’ve happened whether I stayed or not.” 

Though whether or not he said that for Sammy’s sake or his own was a mystery. Henry was a man who harbored few regrets, but the regrets he did have, well, let’s just say they cut deep. Knowing that Grant had been...transformed...it didn’t do good things for him mentally. While Sammy and Milla didn’t understand the full extent of the king’s magic, Henry knew exactly what was going on. He’d seen such powers before, and he never wanted to see them again. He felt guilty for leaving his staff, but it wasn’t like he could just take them with him. That was crazy. 

“I’m...I’m sorry,” Sammy replied. He hung his head shamefully, struggling to look up. “That’s...why you left, isn’t it? Not just for love.”

Henry nodded, still unable to meet his eyes. “Joey...he-he did so much more than you know.” Henry bit his lip. “I never want to be reminded of those times. I’m sorry, but I can’t do anything to help. He doesn’t listen to me, he never has.” 

“Tsk, still not giving yourself enough credit, Stein.” Sammy sighed. “But I understand. I don’t expect you to come back, not when you have a guppy of your own now. Besides, at least Bertrum has helped stand up for us.”

“Bertrum? With his ego?”

“Hey, give him flack all you want, but the king knows his palace would be nothing without that geezer,” Sammy smirked. “I’ll tell you what, he may think too much of himself, but he takes the architect deal quite seriously. Builds more than just pretty palace walls.” 

It was at that moment that the door swung open, and Linda came through, carrying in some groceries. “Oh, Henry! You didn’t tell me we had company! Hello hello, one moment, and I’ll be right there!” 

“Here, I’ll help you, Linda!” Milla hurried off to aid with carrying stuff in. She didn’t like where this was going. A tyrannical Atlantean king, physically warping his subjects? It was no wonder Henry left. But with all that had happened since he left...she couldn’t help but wonder. 

And the things she wondered, oh they were quite terrible indeed. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> What, you didn't think I left this out to dry, did you? XD Surprise, this fic has been on my mind for a while, I'm just having a hard time putting it all into words. There are so many details to this world, and it's tricky to get them all in there organically, so some of today's chapter is a bit exposition-y, but I think it gets the job done. Shoutout to my girl Devil from FullmetalDevil for encouraging me to work on this! (And for drawing Angler Norman while I rambled about my plans for this world, dear god I need to introduce him soon.)
> 
> I've had plans of having Sammy as a focus from the beginning. Because I didn't outright state it here, he is a betta fish, mostly because they're very pretty, and as we hear Twisted Alice say in canon, "he was a very handsome man." Yeah, you can prepare for a little bit of romance with Susie and Sammy. I'm contemplating trying my hand at a polyamorous relationship with bringing Norman in, but I keep going back and forth. I'm not one to ship much, but I really like those three when written as a healthy relationship. If I don't do it here, there's a good chance you'll see it quietly pop up in Searching the Depths, since I definitely have ways of making that happen there. For now though, let's stick with Sammy and Susie, they're cute and I need the fluff. 
> 
> All that aside, yeah, Joey Drew is the king of Atlantis, and as expected, he is a little bitch. You know how we like to play with Henry feeling survivor's guilt in this fandom? Yeah you are absolutely getting a boatload of that here. It's gonna get worse, I can't sugar coat it, but hey, we need a little angst sometimes, right? 
> 
> At any rate, I hope you enjoyed the chapter! Do let me know what you think, I'm always looking to make this a better reading experience. ^^ Thank you for reading, and have a wonderful day!

**Author's Note:**

> Greetings everyone! I know, this is a little late for Mermay, but hey, you can't rush art. I've had the idea to do a merfolk take on the Bendy cast for a long time now. I owe a big thank you to FullmetalDevil, ZanzaFlux, MarieLamb_B, and Ragtime-Doll for encouraging me to put this into action and give it a try. Thank you guys so much, I probably wouldn't have done this without you! XD Seriously, go check all of them out if you haven't already, each one is a fantastic writer in their own right. I'll leave links to all their profiles at the end of this.
> 
> So yes, you heard that right, Henry's a merman, and he's definitely not the only one. I've got a lot of personal notes written to help me determine the fates of the rest of our cast, but that will be revealed in due time. I will say that most of this story is set to take place underwater, within a location known as The Kraken's labyrinth, hence the title, but it'll be a while before we get there, first we need world-building. For all you fans of Boris and the Dark Survival, you probably picked up on the fact that Milla is a character. My dear friend Kitty from Ragtime-Doll and I have been feeling so sad and somewhat betrayed that Milla was just Alice in disguise. XD We really liked her dialogue in the tapes, she was an endearing performance from Lauren Synger, so I opted to make her an actual character in this universe in the form of Susie's cousin. This gives me some freedom to play around and explore what could've been. And don't worry, they're nice to Boris in this universe, no tricks. 
> 
> I can't vouch for how dark this is gonna get, but knowing me and the role I've given Joey in this one, there's potential for it to get pretty dark. Taking a page from RobBoyBlunder (another fic author I adore), I'm gonna try to remember to tag sensitive stuff in the notes at the beginning of each chapter. There may be times where I forget or there's content that I don't think to tag (I'm human, it's inevitable I'll make mistakes now and again), so please, if/when that happens, tell me in the comments to I can make amendments for future readers. Thank you so much for reading, please leave a comment and tell me what you think! I'm always eager to hear your thoughts and join you guys for the ride! ^^
> 
> People who inspired me that you should check out: 
> 
> https://archiveofourown.org/users/FullmetalDevil  
> https://archiveofourown.org/users/ZanzaFlux/pseuds/ZanzaFlux  
> https://archiveofourown.org/users/MarieLamb_B/pseuds/MarieLamb_B  
> https://archiveofourown.org/users/TheMysteryWriter/pseuds/Ragtime-Doll  
> https://archiveofourown.org/users/RobBoyBlunder


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